What is the BIBbq Group?

At work we have a group of guys that enjoy to go out to lunch every day. There had been several debate to which is Atlanta's best BBQ restaurant . We decided to hit up a different BBQ restaurant each week and rate several aspects of the experience to determine what is truly the Best In BBQ in Atlanta. Thus the BIBbq group was born.

Each week the group will visit a different BBQ restaurant. We are currently located near Perimeter Mall, so we are starting off with the restaurants within a 10 mile radius. We will rate the restaurant on the following categories: Main Dish Taste, Main Dish Tenderness, Sauce, Side Items, Service, Atmosphere, Cost and an Overall rating.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

This Is It

Date: 3/24/2010
Restaurant: This Is It
Location: 2776 Cumberland Blvd, Smyrna, GA 30080

URL: http://www.thisisitbbq.com/loc.html
Recommended By: TV Commercial

Score : 2.5

If this is It, We don't want "It". Most of their food is ready and waiting, cafeteria style. Somehow it still took us 15 minutes to move up 3 people in line and another 10 minutes to scoop our food out of the warming trays.

You can see all the items soaking away in sauce. The beef looked like beef soup, except the soup is BBQ sauce. It was also ½ fat and cartilage. The Ribs were over cooked and then covered in sauce. The pork was OK if it wasn’t soaked sauce. They have a special of 3 wings for a dollar, not a bad deal. The wings are fried wings sitting in the warming tray, when you order, they are drizzled in sauce.

Speaking of sauce over everything, you can’t pour your own. They add it when you order. There is plenty of hot sauce to add, I guess to cover the taste. The mac and cheese was the only item that tasted good, lots of good spices. The fries came straight from the freezer into the deep fryer.

If you are reading this, do not go to This Is It. You may find out why we nick named it “Loose Stools.”

"Lunch Special” Meat, 1 Side and drink - $5
Meat 0 sides - $5
Plate 2 sides - $7
4 Ribs - $10

Matt
Overall Score: 4
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef - 6
      Ribs - 5
      Chicken Wing - 4
Sauce: 5
Tenderness: 5
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 6
      Mac & Cheese – 7
      Fries - 4
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Cost: 8
Comments: If this is It, I don't want "It". We got there right around 12 with 2 people ahead of us in line. It took 20 min to order and then 15 more to get our food. The best part is most of their food comes cafeteria style and is all ready to serve. They messed up 3 of our orders.
The beef was full of fat and catilige. Covered in sauce. The ribs were dry and covered in sauce. Their wings were pre fried and sitting in a warming tray. When you order them they soak them in sauce.
The mac and Cheese was probably the best item and it was just OK. Good pepper taste. The brunswich stew was 1/2 stew and 1/2 BBQ sauce. Tasted pretty good but way too much sauce.

Mason
Overall Score: 2
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 6
      Ribs - 6
Sauce:6
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 3
      Fries - 5
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 2
Cost: 5
Comments: Oh boy. It doesn't get much worse than this. We started with the worst service i have had in a long time. There was probably a 5 minute gap between each order at the register, and there were people in front of us. We didn't sit down with our food for 20-30 minutes. Their menu looked like something from a cheesy fast food joint. The cost seemed good, pork sandwich, fries and a drink for like $6. But when i got it, it was like 5 forkfuls of pork. The pork was actually ok, nothing great but i expected the worst. The ribs were ok too, big spare ribs covered in sauce. Speaking of sauce. You had to ask for sauce from behind the counter, but their was like 2 bottles of hot sauce per table. Hot sauce is not as important as bbq sauce at a bbq joint. The stew was terrible. It came on a Styrofoam plate and tasted like something that may have been good once but got old. This place was so bad that it got a long review. I would be completely embarrassed if someone from out of town got their impression of Georgia bbq from this place.

Dan
Overall Score:2
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 4
      Ribs - 4
Sauce:5
Tenderness:4
Sides Taste :
      Fries - 7
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Cost: 6
Comments: Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. There is no other way to describe it. I thought Rib Etc. was as bad as it could get, but no, this was MUCH worse, We stood in line for 30 minutes, and no, it was not busy. After waiting so long to get my food, I was hoping, boy, this food better be great. But much to my dismay, it was not. The pork was dry and the ribs were disgusting. Someone there said, "This is NOT it", they were certainly right.

James
Overall Score:2
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef- 1.5
      Chicken – 1.5
Sauce: 4
Tenderness: 1
Sides Taste :
      Fries - 2
Service: 1.5
Atmosphere: 2
Cost: 10
Comments: I wanted to give my feedback on the “BBQ” place we visited for lunch. I can’t remember the name of it but I’ll refer to it from this point forward as “Loose Stools”. I would like to offer that it is definitely on my list of “off limit establishments” and not the way I imagined my first re-introduction to Georgia BBQ. The chicken I had brought me back to the days when I was dating my wife, I had this annoying rooster that used to crow outside my window every morning way before I ever wanted to get up, so I “took care of him”, it was a clean shot through the head so I thought I would make him for dinner and spent most of the day preparing the toughest piece of meat you’d ever eaten in your life – my then girlfriend wasn’t impressed. Anyway, the positive takeaway is at least “Loose Stools” reminded me of my youth… I’m sure I’ll be reminded throughout the evening as well.













'Cue

Date: 3/10/2010
Restaurant: 'Cue
Location: 13700 Highway 9 North, Milton, GA 30004-3645
URL: http://www.cuebarbecue.com/
Recommended By: Keith / Jacob

Score : 8

Overall Cue has good BBQ. The restaurant is a little small but does give you a modern country feel (You feel like you are in Alpharetta). Their beef and pork are both good but nothing special. Their ribs are really good, if you don't get a dry one. They do have some very good sauces. That may be their strongest point.

Their Brunswick stew was very tasty as well. Their Mac and Cheese was just OK, not very cheesy.

Overall I was satisfied with Cue. If you are in Alpharetta, we would definitely check it out. You may not want to make the drive from Atlanta.

Sandwich, no sides - $7
Plate, 2 sides - $10.50
½ rack ribs - $10

Matt
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 8.5
      Ribs - 8
Sauce: 8.5
Tenderness:8
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 9
      Mac & Cheese - 7
Service: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 8
Comments: "Good Beef. Very Tender. 1st rib was a little dry but the 2nd was great.
Mac and Cheese was very good but could use a little more cheese flavor. Stew was one of my favorite. Very thick.
All 3 sauces had a good kick. Vinegar, KC, Mustard. "

Mason
Overall Score: 7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs - 8
Sauce: 8
Tenderness: 8
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 8
      Mac & Cheese - 7
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 6.5
Cost: 8
Comments: Cue was a small place, more modern feel. The ribs were really good, but it could have been the sauce that i liked more. The sauce was great, i mixed their mustard and original together. The mac and cheese was average. The stew was great. The pulled pork was a little above avereage, very tender. Although nothing at cue was done wrong, nothing seemed to stand out either.